Winter Fun, Hold the Snow

If you haven't gotten enough Olympic action in the last few weeks, or if you're searching for year-round thrills in a decidedly warmer climate, check out Rainforest Adventures at Mystic Mountain in Ocho Rios. You can make like the Jamaican bobsled team as you whip through a 3,280 foot track; and you'll be in good company - Olympic champion Usain Bolt has called the spot his favorite to chill out on the irie isle. After you sled down, take the Sky Explorer chair lift back up the hill and check out the display at the Mystic Pavilion, with displays and memorabilia celebrating Jamaican culture. Cap off the day with a dip in the infinity pool perched on the edge of the mountain. All this and no coat required.

Free Nights at Ritz-Carlton Caribbean and Mexico Resorts

The Deal: Book the exclusive Club Level for your next 4- or 5-night Ritz-Carlton Caribbean or Mexico vacation and you'll enjoy a complimentary night on your stay – a savings of at least $379.

Why We Love It: Already known for top notch service and amenities, the Ritz Carlton brand has gone a step further with the addition of its new Club Level – an intimate "hotel within a hotel" experience that includes a personal concierge and perks such as light breakfast, drinks and sweets delivered throughout your stay. This free-night promotion makes it more affordable to indulge at luxe properties including the Ritz-Carlton St .Thomas, the Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall Jamaica, and the Ritz-Carlton San Juan (pictured) – and, if your travels happen to take you to the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, your minimum 5-night stay (you pay for four) also includes the Cayman Stingray Splash, a promotional day trip to nearby Stingray City.

How to Book It: Book online at ritzcarlton.com. Rates start at $379 per night double occupancy at the Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall in Jamaica, up to $599 per night double occupancy at the Ritz-Carlton Cancun.

Editors Inflight

It's the first day of February, the Caribbean's high season is in full swing, and CT+L 's editors are getting ready to jet off to the region's balmy shores. At this point were not sure exactly where our assignments will take us – although our intrepid photographer Zach Stovall is already happily snapping his way around St. Croix – but we sure do know where we'd like to go in 2010.

Editor at Large Dave Herndon picks St John. "I'm dying to find out what all the love is about," he says of the idyllic US Virgin that attracts a back-to-nature bohemian crowd. (One of our favorite writers even considered packing up and moving to the USVI. Check out her story here.)

Online Editor Reagan Johnson just got back from Barbuda (above right), but she's already got her eye on The Grenadines. "I love sailing and I've always wanted to island-hop around the chain, checking out Bequia, Carraicou, Young Island and some of the smaller islets and cays," says our webby wonder woman. "Moonsplash on Anguilla is a close second, though!"

Managing Editor Becky Strauss has Bonaire on the brain. "I've been certified for 13 years now, and I'm desperate to check out one of the world's premiere diving destinations," she says. (If going deep also tops your to-do list, check out Provo, too.)

Executive Editor Matt Phenix is prepping for 4x4 safari through Belize later this month (read all about it in our upcoming May issue) and will put his driving skills to work again later in the year as he tours Barbados (left) by Mini moke for an upcoming feature.

As for me: Like Reagan, I'm hoping to set sail on my maiden voyage to The Grenadines, and I'm curious about the French Caribbean, particularly Martinique and Guadeloupe. It'd be a great opportunity to see somewhere new and to brush up on my Francais. Of course, I'm always up for a trip back to my beloved Jamaica, and I'm excited about the ever-increasing lineup of luxury hotels along Mexico's Riviera Maya (We'll be featuring one of the best in our annual all-inclusive feature, coming up in April).

Now over to you: Which destinations are on your Caribbean wish-list this year?

Hilton January Sale

The Deal: Book a weekend stay at any participating Hilton Caribbean, Mexico and South America property by January 31 and get up to 33 percent off your stay all year.

Why We Love It: Even though you have to reserve your stay this month, you'll have all year to actually take the trip, so this promotion is a great way to save in advance on your next vacation. There's a wide range of Hilton properties and destinations from which to choose – such as the Bahamas, Barbados, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and more – and if you're a Hilton Honors rewards club member, you'll also earn points on your stay that are redeemable toward free nights.

How to Book It: Call 800-HILTONS or log on to hilton.com/sale to pre-purchase your trip by January 31, 2010. To save, you must book at least three days in advance of traveling, and plan your trip around a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Sarah's 2009 Caribbean Highlights

The new year is just around the corner, but before it arrives I'm taking a moment to reminisce about some of my favorite Caribbean adventures in 2009.

In January, I rode the rails – and enjoyed a killer rum punch – on the Sugar Train in St Kitts.


In April, I spent four days in San Juan munching my way through the Saborea Puerto Rico food festival and getting up close and personal with giant avocados.


In May, I did a six-day Jamaican road trip that took me from Port Antonio to Ochi, Mo'Bay and Negril, where the cliff divers at Rick's Cafe demonstrated their prowess.


Come June, I discovered the bohemian pleasures of Tulum for the first time - and passed this this gargantuan furniture store display along the way.


Then in August I made my maiden voyage on crewed yacht charter through the BVIs, where we shot an episode of our TV show, CT+L's Affordable Caribbean.


I squeezed in a whistle-stop trip back to Jamaica in November, staying just long enough to enjoy a heaping plate of ackee and saltfish, the island's national dish.



My final jaunt of 2009 was to Provo in the Turks and Caicos Islands in December. Beautiful beaches, luxury resorts: what's not to love?



Where did your Caribbean travels take you in 2009?

Doing The Laid-Off Take-Off

Like all the other CT+L editors, I get a daily deluge of press releases in my e-box touting industry news, vacation deals, travel gadgets and resort openings. One that caught my eye earlier this month was from the ad agency J Walter Thompson, which has just released the results of their Travel Trends For 2010 report.

One standout was a trend that’s being called “funemployment.” Apparently growing numbers of people who’ve been laid off are using the unexpected time off to travel, often to far-flung places that they’ve always dreamed of seeing but which they'd never had enough free time to visit. Which made me wonder where in the Caribbean I'd go if, God forbid, my CT+L days came to a screeching halt.

Hmmm ... I’d love to spend some extended down time in Provo in the Turks and Caicos  Islands but I fear that lofty prices in the boutique destination would decimate my savings in no time. Maybe in the Dom Rep  or Jamaica ? I could hole up at an all-inclusive resort and practice deep denial over frosty Dirty Bananas at the pool bar. Or perhaps I'd head for the Grenadines  (check out our Beach Lover's Guide in the March 2010 ish) or the BVI , where I'd downshift to island time and spend a few weeks hopping from one barefoot casual outpost to another. But there are also plenty of voluntourism opportunities around the region, such as helping to preserve the forest at Trinidad 's Asa Wright Nature Centre, so maybe my time would be best spent doing something for the environment or for those less fortunate.

What about you? If you suddenly found yourself jobless, where in the Caribbean would you go to put the "fun" in funemployment and why?

Better Travel Options from Beantown

JetBlue is already a major player in the Caribbean travel game, but the airline just announced a new plan to increase flights between its Logan International (BOS) hub and the Caribbean by 25 percent – a move that will make it the single largest carrier out of Boston.

Beginning May 3, 2010, travelers can take advantage of new weekly routes to Aruba; Cancun, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Montego Bay, Jamaica – and the airline will also continue its regular daily service to Bermuda and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The decision comes right on the heels of US Airways' announcement to discontinue six of its eight current Caribbean routes next year, so the increased JetBlue schedule will help to pick up the slack in Caribbean flights – great news for the destinations in question and the island-hoppers wishing to visit them.

Check in with the JetBlue site for more information on the new routes and to book your trip.

Writers! Space Is Still Available for Writing and Yoga in Jamaica

Resolved to banish writer's block once and for all but not sure how? You're in luck: Space is still available for Celia Jeffries and Jacqueline Sheehan's annual Caribbean writers retreat, Writing and Yoga: A Jamaican Adventure. Working writers themselves, Jeffries and Sheehan are faculty members at the literary workshop Writers in Progress in Northampton, Massachusetts.

The retreat brings a select group of 10 participants, from novice writers to working professionals, to Bromley, a grand hilltop estate close to Ocho Rios on Jamaica's north coast that's built atop the stone foundations of a 16th-century Spanish fort. A typical day starts with a yoga session intended to energize creativity — to get participants "in the flow," says Jeffries. There are lively communal meals as well, and morning and evening writing sessions with exercises carefully chosen to quiet the inner critic and release new writing or expand ongoing projects.

Afternoons are free, but Jeffries and Sheehan, along with retreat coordinator Patricia Perkins, plan to celebrate the setting by offering Jamaican excursions, including time on the sand at secluded Reggae Beach, a tour of lush Coyoba Gardens and Mahoe Falls, or a storytelling session with students at a nearby preschool.

The eight-day retreat is set to commence on March 20, with shared accommodations starting at $1,395 per person. Airfare isn't included, but room and board, excursions and airport transfers are. For more information and registration instructions, visit the retreat's page at Tropical Escapes, or call 212-731-2478.

Today Only: Save up to 65% at Holiday Inn Caribbean Resorts

The Deal: With the Holiday Inn Caribbean's limited-time Cyber Monday deal, you can save 55 percent on rooms at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Montego Bay or 65 percent on rooms at the Holiday Inn Aruba for qualifying 2010 vacations. In Jamaica, you'll also get a free room upgrade to the superior category and a free bottle of wine at check-in.

Why We Love It: With nightly all-inclusive rates starting at $98 per person (kids 12 and under stay and eat free) it's an affordable way to take family vacay in 2010 at two of the Caribbean's most popular destinations. You can travel between January 4 and March 25 at the Sunspree Resort Montego Bay, and between January 4 and December 23 at the Aruba property.

How to Book It: For Aruba, call 011-297-586-3600 or surf over to caribbeanhi.com/aruba and use promotion code 165 (a minimum stay of three nights is required). For Montego Bay, call 888-288-6006 or go to caribbeanhi.com/jamaica and use promotion code 155 (no minimum stay). To take advantage of either deal, you have to book today.

Hilton Caribbean Resort Credits

Got Facebook? Then you've also got an extra $50 in your pocket on your next Hilton Caribbean vacation. For a limited time, the resort chain is offering resort credit vouchers to all of its Facebook fans, redeemable on two-night-minimum stays through January 31, 2010. Just surf over to the Hilton Caribbean fan page to download the voucher and start planning your trip to a participating property like the Hilton Barbados, San Juan's Caribe Hilton, the Hilton Curaçao, Jamaica's Rose Hall Resort and more. And don't forget to check out our own Facebook page – and Twitter too! – for travel news, deals, trip reports and exclusive contests you won't find anywhere else.

Montego Bay on JetBlue

JetBlue just announced two new routes for 2010, with planned routes from Boston and Orlando to Montego Bay, Jamaica beginning in the new year. One way fares from Boston will start at $149, and from Orlando will start as low as $69. Stay tuned on the JetBlue site and here on the Caribbean Travel + Life blog for more updates on booking those and other Caribbean flights – and in the mean time you can search for great vacation packages on our Travel Specials and Editor's Picks pages.

Best Caribbean Beach Towns

I just finished posting a feature - The Caribbean's Coolest Beach Towns - from the October issue to the site this afternoon, and it got me thinking that I've only been to two of our top picks myself: Cabarete, Dominican Republic and Negril, Jamaica. What about you...do you agree with our choices (also including Placencia, Belize and Rincón, Puerto Rico), or do you have another great Caribbean beach town in mind? Leave us a comment and let us know your favorite outposts in the Caribbean. As for me, I don't want to be left in the dark when it comes to the best beach towns, so it looks like I have some new trips to start planning...

AirTran Goes Caribbean

Even airlines dream of spending time in the Caribbean, and this week low-cost carrier AirTran announced that it's making a move toward adding new island service to its long list of destinations. The carrier just submitted applications with the U.S. Department of Transportation and, if approved, will begin service from three major U.S. hubs - Orlando, Atlanta and Baltimore/Washington - to Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Aruba later this year. The addition of new routes between these major destinations can only mean good things for the affordability of Caribbean air travel, so stay tuned for the fare sales that are sure to follow...we'll keep you updated here on the blog.

Air Jamaica Fall Sale

Jamaica on your mind? If you're ready to pull the trigger on booking your next vacation, you can take advantage of new low fares just announced on Air Jamaica this fall...just book by August 11 for travel September 6 to October 31. Sample round-trip fares to Montego Bay start at just $128 from Fort Lauderdale, $168 from Orlando or $198 from New York.

Check out the Air Jamaica web site site or call 800-523-5585 to book your trip...

Oh, Happy J!

I couldn’t let this week go by without commenting on Jamaica being voted the third-happiest country in the world. According to the authors of the Happy Planet Index, which rates 143 countries, the largest English-speaking island in the Caribbean comes second only to Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic in terms of happiness, life expectancy and eco footprint. (The U.S., it should be noted, was 114th.)

It’s certainly great news for a nation that has had its share of economic, political and social challenges but frankly, I’m not surprised. One of the most striking things about Jamaicans is their irrepressible lust for life and unwavering confidence, whether they’re living high on the hog or barely making ends meet. I lived there for about half my life and I’m sure that much of the confidence I enjoy as an adult comes from growing up around people who are proud, loud and never ashamed to make their presence felt. Rich or poor, most Jamaicans have a healthy sense of entitlement combined with an uncanny ability to make something out of nothing, so it stands to reason that the country is being recognized for its “no-problem” attitude.

So how can you get happy? The authors of the index have come up with a lofty manifesto of 10 steps, including eradicating hunger and tackling climate change. Allow me to add an 11th option: Come to Jamaica and feel alright.

Hey, Early Birds...

This just in from SuperClubs: The all-inclusive resort chain is offering huge incentives on 2010 vacations as long as you book by July 31. All you have to do is plan your next seven-night Caribbean vacation in advance and you could receive discounts like $800 off at Jamaica's Grand Lido Negril, $700 off at Breeze's Runaway Bay, or $600 off at Breeze's Bahamas on Nassau's Cable Beach. The brand's newest resort, Breezes Panama, will also be opening later this year, so you could be one of the first to check it out - and with a nightly intro rate of just $155 per person, including all meals, drinks, entertainment, and even tips.

You can take your trip any time between January 2 and December 17 of next year, so the deal is definitely flexible. Just log on to the SuperClubs site for more information and to book your trip.

Caribbean Sale on JetBlue

Speaking of St. Lucia, my favorite Caribbean carrier JetBlue just announced an inaugural service to the island's Hewanorra International Airport from New York (JFK). The flights - on sale since Wednesday - are valid for travel between October 26 and November 14. And for a limited time they're going for just $99 each way plus taxes.

Also included in the $99 one way fare promotion are two previous Caribbean destinations: Barbados and Kingston, Jamaica - though the promotional dates vary for those islands.

The sale ends June 17 so check out the JetBlue web site for more details and to book your trip...

Saluting Our Troops with Caribbean Deals

To show support for our troops, several travel and tourism organizations have started offering huge savings to active and retired military members on their next vacations. Marriott has introduced a new Military Golf Program called Fairway Furloughs, giving golf-loving servicemen and women the chance to play a variety of courses for between $29 and $69 per round, including carts. But the biggest such savings I've seen by far can be found at the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort in Montego Bay. The all-inclusive resort is offering troops a 55-percent discount on room rates plus bonus amenities including automatic room upgrades, match play casino credits and an instant 10-percent savings on treatments at the Sol-Mer Spa. Just book and travel by December 23, using promotion code 155MIL when you reserve your room.

A Couples Thing

Sunday was the final day of my Jamaican adventure, which took me 550 kilometers along the island’s north coast, from Montego Bay to Negril in the west, then east to Port Antonio, westward again to Ocho Rios and finally back to Mo’Bay.

My last three nights I was ensconced at Couples Tower Isle (formerly Couples Ocho Rios), checking out the changes to the romantic, 226-room all-inclusive resort, which reopened on Easter Sunday after a yearlong, $30 million renovation. At 60, it is one of Jamaica’s oldest properties, and in its 1950s heyday as The Tower Isle Hotel welcomed royalty and Hollywood stars. The hotel became the Caribbean’s first all-inclusive resort when Jamaican owner Abe Issa (who is widely acknowledged as the father of the island’s tourism) introduced the concept to Jamaica in 1978, and renamed the hotel Couples Ocho Rios.

I stopped by for a quick visit last year, and while the hotel was clearly as popular as ever, it was showing some wear. So it was particularly gratifying to see how beautifully the grande dame of all-inclusive resorts has been restored to her former glory. Interior designer (and co-owner of Negril’s Idle Awhile) Jane Issa has revamped every inch in a retro-modern style that combines art deco- and mid-century modern- influenced furniture and lighting with contemporary accents. Twenty new rooms, a spa, two restaurants and a second pool have been added, and the guest rooms, piano bar, gym, original pool and public areas have all been renovated. The overall effect combines Rat Pack sleek with tropical chic, and homage is paid to the hotel’s heritage with Tower Isle memorabilia throughout.

I do have some small criticisms: Although the resort offers free Wi-Fi, travelers now expect it to be available in rooms and not just in the lobby. An open, walk-in shower is a great concept, but the entire bathroom floor flooded every time I bathed. And it seemed odd that a resort of Couples’ standard doesn’t have robes in the room (nor did I see them in the new spa).

Nevertheless, just over a month since reopening, CTI is looking better than ever, guests are clearly enjoying the enhancements, and once the inevitable re-opening bugs are worked out, they’ll be hard-pressed to find fault. With free horseback riding and glass bottom boat tours, as well as complimentary excursions to Ocho Rios for shopping and to Jamaica’s iconic Dunn’s River Falls, Couples remains one of the best values in the Caribbean all-inclusive resort category. Factor in attentive service and enhanced amenities, and you’ve got three good reasons to consider it for your next vacation.

A Delicious Departure

I was in Port Antonio for three days and inhaled more Jamaican jerk than I care to admit. Our home base Great Huts was literally steps away from the famous stands at Boston Beach,* so twice a day we’d take a seat at the counter at my favorite, Little David’s, for our daily dose of jerk pork, chicken and sausage dressed in a spicy/sweet mixture of ketchup and jerk seasoning, with festival and hardo (similar to sourdough) bread on the side.

But on a trip into the town of Port Antonio day before yesterday we stumbled upon one of the areas most elegant restaurants, Norma’s at the Marina. Its namesake is Norma Shirley, Jamaica’s most famous chef, and although she wasn’t there that day, the “nouveau Jamaican” fare we enjoyed certainly lived up to her reputation.

Seated on the cruise ship pier (apparently ships call here only once or twice a year) we lingered over a sumptuous feast that began with smoked marlin on garlic toast, and crab cakes accompanied by a flavorful and inventive yellow beetroot slaw.

The main event was a huge escoveitched snapper, fried to perfection then bathed in a tangy pickle. For the last few days we’d eaten almost every meal at a roadside counter, using our hands as utensils and pieces of foil as plates. To dine at a linen-draped table at the water’s edge, listening to the birds and taking in the view of Norma’s golden-sand beach and the tranquil bay beyond, was an unexpected delight and a relaxing and refreshing change.

Of course, no meal is complete without a cocktail, so we forced ourselves to try one of Norma’s specials, and bartender Trevor Hartley was kind enough to share the recipe. Since it calls for equal measures of all ingredients, the recipe is easily adaptable to make larger quantities, so why not whip up a pitcher and celebrate the holiday weekend Jamaican style?

Yellow Bird
1 oz overproof white rum
1 oz dark rum
1oz crème de banane
1oz orange juice
1 oz pineapple juice
dash of Angostura bitters


Shake all ingredients together with ice; add Angostura bitters; garnish with a lime wheel. Enjoy.







*This just in: Jamaica has just announced plans to create a “jerk trail” that will take visitors on a culinary journey across the island sampling the fare of 10 of the best jerk stands, including those in the home of jerk, Boston Beach. For more info, go to www.visitjamaica.com/jerk.